Rampant
by Masked Man 2
Summary: A comparison of the portrayal of emotion in various scenes of both novels, written for an English class.


**Author's Note: Yup, this is another old English essay I dug up...from sophomore year this time, comparing the portrayal of various emotions in Sandra Cisneros's** _ **House on Mango Street**_ **and Catherine Fisher's** _ **The Oracle Betrayed.**_ **Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing but the words below...well, about half of them, anyway.**

Books are rife with emotion. In virtually every piece of literature in existence, authors will use elements like danger, tension, humor, and sadness to add depth to a scene and develop the minds of the characters. These elements also give substance to a story, which helps the reader gain a better understanding of the plots, motives, and themes. Two books that make admirable use of these elements are _The House on Mango Street_ by Sandra Cisneros and _The Oracle Betrayed_ by Catherine Fisher. _The House on Mango Street_ is a collection of vignettes about the life of a Latin American family in the mid-1900s. _The Oracle Betrayed_ is the first book in a fantasy trilogy that combines power plays, secret rebellions, unique characters, and religious mysticism to create a truly wonderful story. Although these two books are very different, both are woven around rich emotion and action, using the aforementioned attributes of danger, tension, humor, and sadness as primers to enhance the stories.

 _The House on Mango Street_ tells the story of Esperanza, a young Hispanic girl who moves with her family to Mango Street in pursuit of a better life. The story is told using short vignettes that detail events both significant and trivial in Esperanza's new life, showing her dreams, thoughts, and development.

Each vignette in the story has a different mood or feel to it; some are sad, some are funny, some are angry or bitter, and others contain emotions so jumbled, they cannot be classified thusly. The use of the emotion is necessary for the comprehension of the vignettes; without it, they would be flat, and wouldn't make sense. Several vignettes that make their desired emotional effect particularly clear are _Papa Who Wakes Up Tired in the Dark, Red Clowns, A Rice Sandwich,_ and _Our Good Day._

 _Papa Who Wakes Up Tired in the Dark_ takes place in the middle of the story. Esperanza's father comes into her room, telling her that her grandfather is dead. "Your _abuelito_ is dead, Papa says early one morning in my room. _Está muerto,_ and then as if he just heard the news himself, crumples like a coat and cries, my brave Papa cries. I have never seen my Papa cry and don't know what to do." (Cisneros 56). This vignette is obviously very sad; Esperanza sees her father's pain and sympathizes with him, even though she is uncertain how to act in this delicate situation. The sadness helps the reader to see a connection between Esperanza and her father; she previously thought he was so strong, and seeing him break down makes her realize how deeply he cares for his loved ones, enough to cry over their deaths. Esperanza begins to feel this same sort of love, which she does not seem to feel in previous vignettes. Earlier in the story, Esperanza seems somewhat self-absorbed and seems to be ashamed of her family. She shows impatience with the dreams that her parents have of winning the lottery, and doesn't want to share her life with her younger sister. Now, however, Esperanza seems to understand just how important her family actually is to her. This understanding is one of the first steps Esperanza takes toward her maturation throughout the rest of the story.

 _Red Clowns_ has a much darker tone to it than _Papa Who Wakes Up Tired in the Dark._ It takes place near the end of the story. Esperanza went with her alleged friend Sally to a carnival, and Sally went off with a boy and left Esperanza alone. "But that big boy, where did he take you? I waited such a long time. I waited by the red clowns, just like you said, but you never came, you never came for me." (Cisneros 99-100). Esperanza was almost raped shortly afterward, and the experience seemed very traumatic. The author describes the scene in great detail, focusing on the small things, like the boy's sour smell, rough grabs, and the laughs of the red clowns around her. Esperanza seems confused as she tells this; her thoughts are jumbled, her mind is seeing the prosaic things around her as human, mocking, cruel. The whole vignette gives a sense of danger, an edged, disgusting maelstrom of emotion that clearly show Esperanza's agonized, unbalanced state. She accuses Sally of lying about what a kiss would feel like, and is fixated on this idea of her dishonesty. "Why did you leave me alone? I waited my whole life. You're a liar. They all lied. All the books and magazines, everything that told it wrong." (Cisneros 100). This delusion helps the reader to understand the depth of Esperanza's naivete, a central theme throughout the story. She believed that all love was good, and that it would be wonderful: a childlike fantasy. This abrupt exposure to 'love' shows her that the world is not good, but evil and cruel as well, and this is a lesson that she was taught too soon.

 _A Rice Sandwich,_ like _Papa Who Wakes Up Tired in the Dark,_ is one of the sadder vignettes; it is set much earlier than _Papa_ or _Red Clowns._ It focuses on Esperanza's desire to eat lunch at the canteen at school. Her mother is not pleased, but Esperanza is adamant. She wants this because she wants her family to miss her when she's gone. "You would see me less and less and like me better. Everyday at noon my chair would be empty. Where is my favorite daughter you would cry, and when I came home finally at three p.m. you would appreciate me." (Cisneros 44). Similar to the way Esperanza doesn't show much love to her family, she doesn't think they love and appreciate her, so she wants to create distance, letting them learn how much they really love her. This argument, while lacking cogency, does create tension between Esperanza and her mother, and this tension allows the vignette to stick in the reader's mind as one that accurately portrays the complex relationship between the two. Esperanza's mother eventually caves in, but when Esperanza goes to the canteen, she gets in trouble with the Sister Superior because she isn't supposed to be there. Even though she has a note, the Sister tells her that she doesn't live far enough away to justify eating at school, and her physical weakness isn't enough of an excuse. Esperanza lies about where she lives and starts to cry. This continues as she realizes that the canteen is nothing special after all. Esperanza's sadness evokes pity in the reader, but the sensation is not complete. Esperanza only displayed how much of a child she is by pushing so hard for something that she lost so soon. This vignette was crucial in reinforcing the reader's understanding of the aforementioned central theme of Esperanza's naivete. Her childish argument, her tears at her discharge from the canteen, and the paradoxical combination of her persistence and timidity all help to paint a picture. Esperanza is a girl who will have to go through much before she can grow and learn from her experiences.

In contrast to the three previously discussed vignettes, _Our Good Day_ is a good example of the author's use of humor to enhance the story. In this vignette, Esperanza meets Rachel and Lucy, two girls that live on her street and ask for five dollars (to buy a bicycle) in exchange for lifelong friendship. This offer seems dubious, but Esperanza accepts. Her unconditional trust gives the reader some misgivings, but Rachel and Lucy appear to be sincere. Not only that, they also let Esperanza ride on the bike with them- everyone on at once. They ride through town like that, and have some humorous interactions with pedestrians that are quite memorable. "People on the bus wave. A very fat lady crossing the street says, You sure got quite a load there. Rachel shouts, You got quite a load there too. She is very sassy. Down, down Mango Street we go. Rachel, Lucy, me. Our new bicycle. Laughing the crooked ride back." (Cisneros 16). This vignette is one of the few in the story that prompts laughter. Rachel's sass and the imagery of the crowded, wobbling bike help embody the side of Mango Street that is light-hearted and carefree. This lightness was the epitome of Esperanza's life before she began to mature, began to care about her looks, began to experience dishonest friends and scarring events.

All four vignettes- _Papa Who Wakes Up Tired in the Dark, Red Clowns, A Rice Sandwich,_ and _Our Good Day_ \- are enhanced by the elements of sadness, danger, tension, or humor. The elements provide a clearer picture of Esperanza's emotions throughout the vignettes, and they give insight into her projected growth. Throughout the story, Esperanza meets people and does things that teach her about life and herself, and she grows from these experiences, gaining a bitter maturity in lieu of her earlier jejunity. These elements illustrate that growth. In earlier vignettes ( _Our Good Day_ and _A Rice Sandwich_ ), she is naive, too willing to trust, and unable or unwilling to make logical arguments in her favour. She is easily amused, but she is deluded with regards to her family's love for her, and she cries over her own failed schemes. As the story progresses, sad events like her _abuelito's_ death make her realize the depth of her familial bonds, and she begins to shed her blind childhood dreams of a better life begotten through luck. A terrible danger like near-rape serves to crush the last remnant of childhood innocence she once possessed, and builds her concluding character: more focused on the future, more bitter and knowledgeable, less willing to believe blindly. Her growth is visible in the story, all because of the emotional attributes that helped shape it for the reader.

Like _The House on Mango Street_ , Catherine Fisher's _The Oracle Betrayed_ uses the elements of danger, tension, sadness, and humor to develop the plot and characters, and the development helps the reader gain an understanding of the story as a whole.

Set in the fictitious Two Lands, _The Oracle Betrayed_ is the first book in the Oracle Prophecies trilogy. The story follows the timid Mirany, the Bearer-to-the-God, who is dragged into a plot to expose the corruption of Hermia, the Speaker-to-the-God, and Argelin, the ruthless general. With the help of the drunk musician Oblek, the arrogant scribe Seth, and Kreon, the Shadow of the God, Mirany must find the true Archon, the God-on-Earth and the ruler of the Two Lands. However, their quest is impeded by the terrible drought that ravages the land, and Seth is forced to aid the notorious Jackal in robbing a tomb to pay for water to save his ill sister. The Archon must be found, and the drought must be stopped...before the Two Lands die forever.

Despite the multiple plotlines that are followed simultaneously in each chapter, the story does have a cohesiveness that is helped by the use of elements such as tension, danger, and humor. The elements add depth and reality to the characters and plots, allowing the reader to form a greater connection with the story. Some chapters that make notable uses of this tension, danger, and humor are _She Hears What She Never Thought To Hear, They Scatter, He Feels The Danger Of Dark Places, He Sees An Opening For Advantage, A God Is Not Responsible For His Worshipers,_ and _The Rain Queen Has Her Way._

 _She Hears What She Never Thought To Hear_ is a chapter that is rife with tension. Mirany and Seth have just broken Oblek out of the prison for the late Archon's servants, and they talk about Hermia and Argelin's treachery, and their plan to set up a puppet Archon. "Don't you see, that was her excuse. Her and Argelin. They killed the Archon, and the rain came. He hated them, he would never trust them, they were always afraid of what he might say. The people liked him. So now he's dead and they put their own choice in. Some boy they can control." (Fisher 69). Oblek is, at this point, angry with the world, and he only wants revenge on Hermia and Argelin for killing the late Archon, his friend. This anger, as well as the erraticism of his behaviour, gives the scene an edge of danger. Mirany, on the other hand, is sick with fear at the thought of the treachery she is now involved in. Seth also wants no part in the plan, and he is vehemently against having to harbor Oblek at his house. "Him!" Seth scowled. "It's my family I'm worried about." (Fisher 71). Both Mirany and Seth seem frightened and repulsed by the musician, and these feelings, as well as the generally conflicting emotions of the characters, helps the reader to understand how convoluted the plan is. Mirany doesn't want to betray Hermia, but the late Archon gave her explicit instructions to do just that. Oblek wants revenge, and he wants it fast. Seth just wants to protect his family. All three have such different motives, and they seem _real;_ the reader can relate on a personal level. On the whole, this scene helps to set the foundations for the relationships the characters will come to form, and it sets their plan in motion: a central objective of the story.

Although it takes place much later in the story, the beginning of _They Scatter_ is also fraught with tension and danger. The robbery of Sostris's tomb (the robbery planned by the Jackal that Seth was supposed to help with) has been foiled by Oblek, Kreon, and Seth himself. Mirany's part in the plan to instate the true Archon has been exposed by her two-faced friend, Chryse. She is now to be buried alive, but Seth, Kreon, Oblek, and the Jackal broke into her tomb (instead of Sostris's- Seth tricked the Jackal) The Jackal has made off with Alexos, the God-on-Earth, and Mirany is lost in the tombs. Seth is enraged and desperate to find her, and Oblek is berating himself for letting Mirany get caught in the first place. "You'll do exactly as I say." Seth faced Oblek with barely disguised wrath. "I want you with me! All the way through this you've been the thorn in our side. Your stupidity, your reckless revenge! You're the reason Mirany was caught." "You think I don't know that!" The big man flung another vase over, the crash ringing through the tomb. "You think that doesn't haunt me!" (Fisher 298). Oblek is wild, uncontrollable, dangerous in his rage, and Seth is little better. Conversely, Kreon displays a sort of calm resolve that tempers the fire of the other two a bit. The whole scene evokes a mixed feeling of optimism and chaos, a mixture that helps to elucidate the complex relationships that the characters share. Seth (as much as he might try to deny it) really cares for Mirany and wants to keep her safe. Oblek, too, has grown closer to the priestess as the story progressed, but he cares for Alexos just as much, if not more. The boy is the Archon, his best friend. He is also the God, and Kreon is the Shadow of the God; they are brothers, in a way, and share that bond, despite the fact that they only recently met. These relationships are crucial to the understanding of the plot and the motives of the characters. They have been developing slowly throughout the story, and really show themselves in this scene, this crisis. The tension in this scene helps the reader to see them more clearly.

In contrast to _She Hears What She Never Thought To Hear_ and _They Scatter, He Feels The Danger Of Dark Places_ effectively weaves humor into the overall tension of the chapter. The scene that achieves this integration best is the conversation between Seth and Kreon at the beginning of the chapter. Seth has just received a message from the Jackal regarding the robbery, and he is to bring the plans for the tombs with him. He is stung by the thought of 'theft,' and is stressed with the weight of keeping the venture a secret, for fear of the consequences. Therefore, when Kreon interrupts him as he's trying to recopy the plans, he gets understandably angry. Kreon is hiding his identity by posing as a half-crazy slave, and his casual sarcasm contrasts sharply with Seth's guilty irritation. "Kreon leaned closer. "They're opening him," he whispered…. "Who?" "Him. Me. The Archon. Taking his insides out. His brain. What are they looking for? Is it the god? Are there tunnels inside men, where the god hides?" Seth frowned. "Look…" "I've tried that. But you can't see a god, can you? Though down in the passages, I've seen his shadow. Walking. Just around the corner stretching out in front of me, and when I stop, he stops." (Fisher 91-92). This contrast displays the complex relationship between these two men. Seth has little patience with Kreon as it is. Add that to the paranoia that comes from a secret plan to rob a tomb, and there is little wonder as to his defensiveness. Meanwhile, Kreon seems to know much more than he lets on, and he is confident enough in Seth's scornful perception of him that he drops hints about his identity without worrying about Seth finding out the truth. His own perception of the scribe, while not apparent in this scene, is much darker. He views Seth as self-centered, concerned only with personal gain, and constantly questions his motives. "And the Shadow asks is it Mirany you're leaving us for, or Sostris?" (Fisher 268). The tension between the two helps the reader to understand Seth's inner turmoil; he wants no part in this theft, but it will get his sister water, and he will do whatever he can to save her. That in itself paints him in a better light, and also helps the reader to understand why he is willing to do so many seemingly immoral things throughout the story.

 _He Sees An Opening For Advantage_ shows a different side to Seth: a glib, opportunistic side that would be willing to take advantage of someone else (namely Mirany) for his own purposes. " Also, being in on any secret was power, being able to blackmail one of the Nine if he needed to would be only too useful." (Fisher 58). In this chapter, Mirany and Seth are trying to break Oblek out of prison, and they must tread carefully; Argelin cannot find out what they are doing. The tension and action of this scene allow it to stick in the reader's mind, and they clearly illustrate the personalities of the characters involved. The aforementioned opportunistic side of Seth helps to shape his actions just as much as his love of his sister does, developing the character of the untrustworthy plotter. In order to understand the shift from this side of him to the side that is willing to make sacrifices to protect his friends, the reader must first _see_ both sides. Similarly, Mirany also displays another side of herself in this scene, a quick-thinking, almost assertive side that is practically the opposite of her usual timid nature. The bolder Mirany makes sporadic appearances throughout the exposition of the book, and as the plot thickens, she shows more often. The introduction of Oblek is also important to the story. Although he doesn't seem like much, this musician is crucial to finding the God-on-Earth and helping him get to his place as Archon. All the danger Mirany and Seth faced to get him will pay off later, when the time to find the Archon comes.

 _A God Is Not Responsible For His Worshipers_ is another chapter that uses danger to color its scenes. Oblek, Seth and Alexos are tearing through the City as they try to escape Argelin's guards after a failed assassination attempt. At the same time, Hermia is making preparations for Mirany to be buried alive for her part in the treachery. "They had failed. the others would be caught, and killed. And she, tonight, would suffer the punishment of a traitor to the god. She would be walled up alive in the tomb of the Archon. And nothing anyone could do would save her." (Fisher 239). The emotions in this chapter are running wild. Hermia and Oblek are both enraged- Hermia because of the plan to get rid of her, and Oblek at having failed to kill Argelin. Seth is violently berating Oblek for his poor planning as they run, and the scene in general simply throbs with tension and suspense. Through the adroit use of these elements, the reader can practically feel the adrenaline pulsing through him or her. The images created by the descriptions of the events make the scene much more memorable, and the gravity of the situation can be appreciated all the more.

 _The Rain Queen Has Her Way_ marks the climax of the story, in which the Archon is chosen. The scene is full of suspense, and anxious questions flash through the reader's mind as the tension builds to an unbearable pitch. Where is Alexos? Will the Speaker choose him? What if she doesn't? What then? "The boys were coming in. There were nine of them, and they were masked….There was no way of telling them apart." (Fisher 330). Mirany's fear is plain for the reader to see, and the tension of the scene feels so real that it is entirely possible to feel that fear alongside her. This realism is what makes an impression on the reader. So palpable is the tension that when the choice is made, the very pages seem to breathe a sigh of relief. The Archon is indeed Alexos, and all is as it should be.

All of the aforementioned chapters and scenes share a skillful manipulation of the emotions of the reader through the use of tension, suspense, and danger, with a bit of intermittent humor to ameliorate the effect. The dynamic minds and personalities of the characters are developed throughout these scenes that test their strength, wit, courage, and loyalty. This development shaped their actions throughout the story, allowing it to grow and move in a way that seemed tangible and real. Consequently, by feeling what the characters felt, the reader would be able to understand the story better.

Both _The House On Mango Street_ and _The Oracle Betrayed_ use the elements of tension, danger, humor, and sadness to develop the characters and show their growth as the stories progress. The use of these elements also helps to enhance the plot, making the words almost sentient and allowing the reader to feel, empathize, and understand. By using these elements in these ways, both authors have created unique stories, excellent in their own ways, that will stick with readers for years to come.


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